Our quick take

Xbox Series S - 4.0 / 5

Design

  • Dimensions: 65 x 151 x 275mm / Weight: 1.97kg Connections: HDMI 2.1, 3x USB 3.1, Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi

New Xbox Wireless Controller

  • New controller with the share button AA batteries (included) Lower latency USB-C

Hardware

  • CPU: Octa-core custom Zen 2 CPU Memory: 10GB of GDDR6 RAM GPU: 4 TFLOPS, 20 CUs Storage: 512GB SSD Storage Expansion

Experience

  • Backward compatible with thousands of Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox games Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support for media and games Setup through iOS and Android app

Performance

  • Performance target: 1440p 60fps, up to 120fps possible; 4K HDR for video Auto low latency mode (ALLM) Variable refresh rate (VRR) DirectX ray-tracing AMD Freesync

Games

  • Some games optimised for Xbox Series S/X Xbox Game Pass supported

To recap

The smallest and cheapest current-gen console on the market is also the most truncated - in resolution, a few features and, most notably, storage size. However, it’s also an accessible option for those who aren’t hardcore but still want a very capable device. The Xbox Series S is fun, friendly and a significant upgrade over the Xbox One - although you might need to put some cash aside for an external hard drive.